We’re still several months away from the first practices of fall ball, but there are already seven teams that I believe are in a tier of their own ahead of the 2026 college football season.
You can likely guess a few of them, as programs like Ohio State have become mainstays at the top of college football. But is Indiana poised to make another run in 2026? Is there another Big Ten team that might be better than those two programs? Does Georgia still run the SEC?
With spring ball in the books for most of the country, let’s take a look at my post-spring top 25.
There were a lot of teams I considered at No. 25, but Tennessee has been very consistent, at least on offense. Josh Heupel took over five years ago and Tennessee has been the No. 1 scoring offense in the country ever since. However, the Vols have a big question at quarterback entering the summer, which is why they aren’t ranked higher. It looks like the QB competition is down to two players, with redshirt freshman George MacIntyre and five-star freshman Faizon Brandon vying for the job. Both have little or no experience. I think Tennessee will be fine on offense, but it is a quarterback-driven offense.
Defensively, Tennessee brought in former Ohio State and Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles for the same job. There’s a lot of talent in Tennessee as it’s been one of the top recruiting programs in the country. The schedule isn’t terrible, but I like that the Volunteers get three of their four toughest games at home (Texas, LSU, Alabama).
This is a bet on top-end talent at important positions. It’s a make-or-break year for head coach Shane Beamer after South Carolina went 4-8 after being a top-10 team early on last season.
Quarterback LaNorris Sellers came into the 2025 season as a Heisman hopeful, but that fell off. Edge rusher Dylan Stewart could be a top-10 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, and I had him ranked in my way-too-early top 10 prospects for next year’s class. The Gamecocks also brought in Kendall Briles as their new offensive coordinator, a move aimed at injecting energy into the offense.
South Carolina returns the most offensive production in the SEC, but they have to overcome a really tough schedule. The Gamecocks have road games at Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, and Clemson, plus home matchups against Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Georgia.
I think new head coach Morgan Scalley keeps some semblance of continuity at Utah, even though many people in that program left with Kyle Whittingham for Michigan. Scalley had to basically replace the entire offensive coaching staff.
The Utes still have quarterback Devon Dampier and running back Wayshawn Parker, but they’ve got to replace two first-round picks on their offensive line. That won’t be easy.
Scalley knows how to produce on the defensive side, so that’s not a concern.
Morgan Scalley is entering his first season as Utah’s head coach. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
Another Big 12 school checks in early on the list. I really like Houston head coach Willie Fritz after he helped the Cougars win 10 games in his second season.
Conner Weigman not only returns at quarterback, but he has 26 starts in his career. The Cougars also return wide receiver Amare Thomas, who was second in the Big 12 in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns a year ago.
Watch out for running back Makhi Hughes at running back, though, as he reunites with Fritz at Houston. Hughes can return to being one of the most productive running backs in the country.
Another staple makes the list. Iowa isn’t sure what it’s doing yet at quarterback, but we know the Hawkeyes aren’t a quarterback-centric team. That quarterback battle is going to go on for a bit. Do we care? Yes, we kind of do.
I’m more concerned with the Hawkeyes’ offensive line and how they plan to replace some key players, though. That O-line was the best in the country last year, or at least they were awarded as such with the Joe Moore Award.
Brent Brennan is a hell of a head coach. Plus, quarterback Noah Fifita is back after being named first-team All-Big 12 last year. He’s got the second-most starts among all quarterbacks in the country with 34. All of those have come at Arizona. In fact, I was talking to Nick Foles, and he’s excited about Fifita and the legacy he’s building at Arizona.
I thought the Huskies would take a jump in 2025, and they did. However, Washington made some key mistakes in big moments last season.
Demond Williams Jr. is back at quarterback, and he’s got four of his offensive linemen from last season protecting him. I love that. The Huskies have to replace wide receivers Denzel Boston and Raiden Vines-Bright. Dezmen Rouebuck had a strong true freshman season at receiver, though.
There’s also some continuity on the defensive side of the ball, namely with defensive coordinator Ryan Walters. He kind of figured things out during the course of the year.
Demond Williams Jr. returned to Washington after some transfer portal drama. (Photo by Henry Rodenburg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Rhett Lashlee has done a marvelous job as SMU’s head coach. The Mustangs have done a marvelous job of making sure Lashlee remains their head coach as well. SMU has won 31 games over the last three years. That’s the 10th-most in the country, and SMU has gone 14-2 in its last two seasons of ACC play.
The Mustangs also have experienced quarterback play with Kevin Jennings returning. This is a team that’s not going anywhere.
BYU has been sort of pushing its ceiling. When the Cougars faced Texas Tech last season, they didn’t play very well and couldn’t get over the hump.
They did get a major boost with Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year LJ Martin opting to return to Provo, and quarterback Bear Bachmeier back after leading BYU to 11 wins as a freshman.
The situation with wide receiver Parker Kingston, which led to his dismissal from the program due to some terrible accusations, hurts the Cougars’ ranking. BYU also lost its defensive coordinator, Jay Hill, to Michigan.
I know I’m going to get some flak for this, but I couldn’t put Alabama higher than 16th. Alabama has slowly been slipping, and we’ve seen that with its play on the field. Head coach Kalen DeBoer just got a contract extension, which was a bit interesting, as he heads into Year 3 at Tuscaloosa.
At quarterback, the Crimson Tide have two very talented, but very inexperienced options in Austin Mack (last year’s backup) and redshirt freshman Keelon Russell (a former five-star recruit). DeBoer has said he won’t name a starter until the fall. Regardless, the winner will have zero college starts. I just don’t like that in this day and age.
Alabama needs wide receiver Ryan Coleman Williams to get back to what he was as a freshman. He wasn’t near what he was last year.
Ultimately, this team’s identity still hinges on the defense and run game — areas that were once the program’s foundation under Nick Saban. Did you know they were 126th in yards per carry last season? Ty Simpson put them on their back, and they don’t have that anymore.
This one is a lot about the schedule. There are some teams ranked behind Penn State who have better rosters, but if you look at the schedule, the Nittany Lions should be a top-15 team.
Now with Matt Campbell as its head coach, Penn State has essentially become East Iowa State. He almost brought the entire Iowa State roster with him. Campbell’s going to be charged with winning big games. However, here’s the thing: they don’t have a ton of big games. The schedule falls in their favor, and they’re going to have the most experienced quarterback in the country with Rocco Becht. I think they can make a run at 10 wins.
Penn State in Joel Klatt’s post-spring top 25 🏈 Joel Klatt Show
Ole Miss had a tremendous College Football Playoff run, but the Rebels lost too much from that roster for me to put them in the top 10.
Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was amazing, leading the Rebels to the CFP semifinal. If you have Chambliss, you’re going to have a chance in any game. Kewan Lacy is also back at running back after rushing for 1,567 yards as a sophomore.
I thought head coach Pete Golding did a good job in the CFP and hitting the portal hard to strengthen the defense.
The situation with incoming quarterback Brendan Sorsby obviously isn’t ideal. We all thought that was a tremendous fit after he transferred to Texas Tech before the news broke that the NCAA was investigating his alleged sports gambling.
Will Hammond played well as a backup quarterback for Texas Tech last year, but he tore his ACL, and it’s questionable if he’ll be back for Week 1. Still, Texas Tech was aggressive in the portal once again to shore up its roster.
The Red Raiders lost a good bit of talent in their front seven, with edge rusher David Bailey, linebacker Jacob Rodriguez and defensive lineman Romello Height being among some of the players taken in the first two days of the draft.
Michigan seems to be all over the place in other rankings. So, I placed the Wolverines relatively in the middle because it’s a wait-and-see for me on one key element: the combination of quarterback Bryce Underwood and offensive coordinator Jason Becht.
Becht has been outstanding in the last couple of seasons, getting the most out of guys like Devon Dampier at New Mexico and Utah. We’ll see if he can do the same for Underwood. The schedule isn’t easy, though, and they’ve got four games against CFP teams from last season.
I think Michigan can have a pretty good team, especially if the Underwood-Becht combo meshes well. Michigan is in good hands with Kyle Whittinham. I’m just not sure the Wolverines can win the Big Ten, though.
Michigan in Joel Klatt’s post-spring top 25 🏈
Head coach Brent Venables has the Oklahoma defense exactly where he wants it. He took over defensive playcalling duties last season for the Sooners and it worked, ranking top 10 in the country.
The Sooners have four returning All-SEC players on defense, including defensive tackle David Stone, who is already generating early first-round buzz for the 2027 draft.
We all know quarterback John Mateer can be really good when he’s healthy as well. He was the Heisman front-runner before that injury to his hand. They just need to run the ball a bit better.
Truth be told, when I got to 16, there was a line. So, from BYU to my 30th- or 35th-ranked team, there were a lot of teams I considered placing in the top 25. Then, from No. 15 to No. 8, there was another grouping of teams I found difficult to order. So, while we hold the top 10 in high regard, I just wanted to make the delineation clear.
USC gets in at No. 10 as I’m bullish on the Trojans. I think they fixed the line of scrimmage. Lincoln Riley knew at some point they needed to improve in the trenches, and they brought back their entire starting offensive line. That was an offensive line that helped USC’s run-game improve in 2025.
Riley’s teams have also been really good when they can run the ball. Running back Waymond Jordan was spectacular last season before he got hurt. There are some questions at wide receiver, but Riley’s offenses always develop pass-catchers.
I really love what head coach Mike Elko has done in his first two seasons at College Station. Last season didn’t end well, though, but I think that just means the Aggies will be even more motivated in 2026. They started out 11-0 before losing to Texas and Miami (Fla.) in the playoff.
This is a team that’s built under the right things. They’re built on their defense, which will still be very good.
There will be some changes on the offensive side, with offensive coordinator Colin Klein leaving to become Kansas State’s head coach. They do get quarterback Marcel Reed back for his third season as a starter, and he’ll be able to throw to wide receiver Mario Craver. That’s a big deal for them.
This is the top team of my second tier, and this is a major nod to Lane Kiffin. Sure, the way he left Ole Miss was a disaster, but Kiffin can coach.
LSU’s offense has the potential to be among the best in the country after an aggressive overhaul in the transfer portal. The Tigers brought in roughly 40 transfers, highlighted by quarterback Sam Leavitt, one of the top available players at the position. They also added wide receiver Jayce Brown, offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, and edge rusher Jordan Ross.
Kiffin also retained defensive coordinator Blake Baker. That was a great move.
Lane Kiffin landed some of the top players in the transfer portal this offseason, including offensive tackle Jordan Seaton. (Photo by Gus Stark/LSU/University Images via Getty Images)
Now, we get into the cream of the crop. I think the national champion will be one of these seven teams, starting with Texas. Some will be higher on Texas, and some might even be lower.
Arch Manning is obviously the headliner as he enters Year 2 as the Longhorns’ starting quarterback. I think he’ll play really well because his play late in the season suggests that. He finished with 20 total touchdowns and just two turnovers in his final six games.
Head coach Steve Sarkisian revamped the offense with some portal players, including wide receiver Cam Coleman. Watch out for Coleman, who I think can have a monster year and made my way-too-early top-10 2027 draft prospect list. You can see guys like wide receiver Ryan Wingo also having a big year, too.
The offensive line was also revamped, and Will Muschamp returned as defensive coordinator. Edge rusher Colin Simmons joined Manning and Coleman on my way-too-early top-10 2027 draft prospects list as well.
That Ohio State game early in the year will determine who has the inside track of being ranked No. 1 or 2 in the country and a CFP berth.
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Miami was one drive away from winning the national championship last season, and I think getting quarterback Darian Mensah from Duke (however the Hurricanes got him) was huge. He led Duke to the ACC title last season, and he now has talented players like running back Mark Fletcher Jr. and wide receiver Malachi Tooney around him.
The offensive line should still be good because head coach Mario Cristobal knows how to build an offensive line. And I also believe in Cristobal as he showed improvement in his game-managing skills last season.
It’s easy to take Georgia for granted, isn’t it? The program hasn’t won a title in three years, so we think Georgia isn’t what it used to be. But Kirby Smart recruits his butt off and in those three seasons, the Bulldogs have gone 36-6. They’ve also won two SEC titles in that stretch. Sure, they haven’t won a playoff game in that time, but they still have players.
The SEC still goes through Athens. Quarterback Gunnar Stockton is back, along with several other key players like center Drew Bobo and safety K.J. Bolden.
I really wanted to rank Indiana higher than this. However, the three teams ranked higher than the Hoosiers just have so much returning talent. But the Hoosiers aren’t going anywhere as long as Curt Cignetti is at the helm, especially if offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan and defensive coordinator Bryant Haines are still there.
The big portal addition was ex-TCU quarterback Josh Hoover. All eyes will be on him as he replaces Fernando Mendoza. He’s almost a Mendoza clone, though, as Hoover was only second to Mendoza for the most run-pass option throws in college football last season.
Indiana also got former Michigan State wide receiver Nick Marsh, who will line up on the outside with Charlie Becker. The offensive line and defensive should be very good, too.
Indiana in Joel Klatt’s post-spring top 25 🏈 Joel Klatt Show
Quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith headline the returning players for Ohio State. Sure, there might be more turnover than usual in Columbus, but the Buckeyes have their Heisman finalist quarterback and the best player in college football returning.
There is a new offensive coordinator as Arthur Smith will likely run a more pro-style offense for Sayin. I think the best part about Ohio State, though, is that four of its offensive linemen and running back Bo Jackson returned. So, this offense could be as good as any in college football.
The Buckeyes hit the portal hard defensively to make up for the lost talent on that side of the ball. Sure, they had three players on defense picked in the top 11 of the NFL Draft, but they just showed last year that they can replace that level of talent in an offseason.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
I love a team that’s pissed off, and Notre Dame is going to be ready from Jump Street. You think Marcus Freeman’s not going to have the attention of his team after the way last season ended? That was a team that felt like it could make a run to the national championship.
This will be an offense more centered around quarterback CJ Carr, with running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price going to the NFL. But Notre Dame does have its two top receivers returning (Jordan Faison, Jaden Greathouse) and got two really good wide receivers in the portal (Quincy Porter, Mylan Graham).
The Fighting Irish have a ton of experience coming back in the trenches. Four returning starters on the offensive line to go with a defense that will probably be the top defense in all of college football. They’ve got five of their seven starters back up front.
Oregon remains in the top spot after I ranked the Ducks No. 1 in my way-too-early poll at the start of the offseason. When you look at the teams that have won the last three national championships, Oregon fits the blueprint those teams followed to a tee.
The Ducks are a veteran-led team with talent returning everywhere while holding the best defensive line in the country, an experienced quarterback and the ability to be explosive. They’ve also inched closer and closer to getting over the hump. They only have three losses over the last two seasons, and all three were to the eventual national champion — one loss to Ohio State in 2024 and two losses to Indiana in 2025.
Every year that Dan Lanning has been the head coach, Oregon moves one step forward. And just look at the talent this team is returning. It starts with quarterback Dante Moore, but continues with the likes of wide receiver Dakorien Moore, wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan, running back Jordon Davison, tight end Jamari Johnson, edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei, defensive tackle A’mauri Washington, defensive tackle Bear Alexander, edge rusher Teitum Tuioti and cornerback Brandon Finney Jr.
